Latest Read: Sacrifice

Here are the basics ...
Book: Sacrifice (Legacy, #3)
Author: Cayla Kluver
Site: http://www.caylakluver.com/
Category: Young Adult - Fantasy/Romance

Summary: Alera - Queen of a fallen kingdom, secretly in love with the enemy. Shaselle - Daughter of a murdered father, rebel with a cause. One lives behind the former Hytanican palace walls and walks the razor's edge to keep the fragile peace in her beloved homeland. The other slips through the war-torn streets, seeking retribution for her family's tragedy, following whispers of insurgency. Both face choices that will separate them from those they cannot help but love. As their stories intertwine, a conspiracy ignites that may end in slavery or death—or lead to freedom anew, if only each can face what must be sacrificed. (Adapted goodreads.com) 

My thoughts…

The good:  I just read Legacy and Allegiance (the first two books in this trilogy) a few weeks ago, so knowing that the release of the third book was just a few weeks away? Torture! I was very eager to dive back into the world Cayla Kluver had created.  How would Alera rule her shattered kingdom as Grand Provost? Would Alera and Narian pick up their relationship right away?  Did Steldor still have a chance? These were questions that I desperately wanted answers for.  And I'm happy to report this book resolved all the open threads (even though I wasn't necessarily happy with the outcome).

Alera is struggling in her role as Grand Provost and she suffers from having the best of intentions but not always taking right course of action.  She wanted to take a passive approach to Hytanica being overtaken by Cokyrians.  She truly believed that trying to merge the two cultures through acceptance and yielding to demands would allow her people more freedom over time.  Not everyone (and by everyone I mean all the military men who saved her life in the previous books and myself included) did not agree with her vision or her approach.  To be honest, most of her time is spent in Narian's arms so if you're a fan of this couple, you'll be happy. They have their sweet moments and it's clear they're devoted to one another.  But you all know how I feel about Steldor (love!) so I enjoyed her brief moments with him best.  He just brings out a side of her character that I enjoy more when it comes to heroines. There's a fight in her that I think she tries to surpress, except when she's around him. He doesn't coddle her. He forces her to open her eyes to the truth of their people's despair.  She's not passive around him and their banter makes me smile (Alera, you seriously chose wrong here!).

The author introduced a new point-of-view to the series by alternating the chapters with Shaselle, Steldor's cousin.  While reading about Shaselle, I often found myself wishing Alera would take some pointers from her.  She's so strong and spirited.  She fights not only for what she believes in but for her family and for herself.  She knows who she is and what she wants even though society dictates who she should be.  I admired that in her.  Even though I didn't think her chapters were necessarily important to the series overall, I did appreciate the contrast between the two female protagonists.

(Major) resevervations:  I ended the second book and started this one being anti-Narian. I mentioned in my previous review that I didn't really get Alera's love for him nor did I feel any chemistry in their scenes. Unfortunately I still felt that way.  The entire pacing of their relationship was a bit off and I couldn't completely root for their happy ending. I was keeping my fingers crossed for Steldor until the very last page.  This was a strange experience for me because I've never read a book where the couple I wanted didn't end up together.  I was also a little disappointed in Alera. She grew up so much throughout the series so I was ready for her to be this take charge woman. Instead, she reverted back to her former self where she relied on the men to make the bigger decisions for her. The direction of the third book just wasn't what I had hoped for.

Do I recommend?: As a whole, I still enjoyed the entire series immensely. The author is a great writer who created this amazing world and characters. I may not have gotten the ending I wanted but I was so invested in the characters and what happened to them.  To the point where I was talking about the series with people who have never even read the book. I think that says a lot!

Happy reading!